Last week, Massport kicked off the East Boston YMCA’s annual Capital Campaign efforts with a donation of $25,000. The Y’s Capital Campaign will culminate in the agency’s annual Reach Out for Youth breakfast fundraiser on Thursday, April 5 at 7:30 a.m. at the Logan Hilton Hotel.
Massport’s Alaina Travaglini, East Boston YMCA Executive Director Ann-Margaret Gutierrez and Massport CEO Thomas Glynn kicked off the YMCA’s annual Capital Campaign last week with a check presentation from Massport of $25,000 at the Y on Bremen Street.
Last year, the YMCA raised well above their $140,000 goal during the annual Capital Campaign and Reach Out for Youth breakfast. Each year during the capital campaign and the subsequent annual breakfast donations and money raised ensures that no child, family or adult will ever be turned away from the Y due to an inability to pay full fees.
“Here at the Y, we believe in the power of community and collaboration. We appreciate and value our role in strengthening families, so everyone thrives. But, we could not have done this alone,” said East Boston YMCA Executive Director Ann-Margaret Gutierrez, “With support from donors and partners like Massport, the Y can continue to be the one constant that our families know they can depend on in these ever changing times.”
Since 2008, Massport has awarded the East Boston Y with more than $350,000 to support its important work in the community.
“We value our partnership with the YMCA of Greater Boston and the work they are doing to support and strengthen the East Boston community,” said Massport CEO Thomas P. Glynn. “Massport is proud to stand with organizations like the Y that provide opportunities to shape values and encourage learning in the communities they serve.”
This year’s breakfast, which usually draws over 500 supporters will be hosted by Rep. Adrian Madaro who took over the reigns as master of ceremonies from former State Senator Anthony Petruccelli.
“As the former Vice President of the Y’s board I have seen first hand the great work they do for children and families in East Boston,” said Madaro. “I look forward to helping raise money for this great organization that will help continue their work in our neighborhood.”
As in years past, all money raised through the capital campaign is directed to scholarship assistance for programming in Eastie. In 2017 through donations and fundraising the Y was able to raise over $200,000 to help Y families.
For nearly two decades, the Y in Eastie has been helping people in the community improve the quality of their lives with programs that focus on healthy living, social responsibility and youth development.It’s the Y’s mission to be a cornerstone for social change, leading individuals and families of all backgrounds and at all stages of life to learn, thrive and improve the neighborhood.
At the Y, the fitness and nutrition programs are educating and supporting members in their quest to live healthier lives. Seniors are using their membership to stay connected to activities and to people to keep them young and living with purpose, and youth in the Y’s early education and care and after-school programs are learning literacy skills and receiving academic support in conjunction with Boston Public Schools curriculum.
The Y is also empowering teens, socially and academically. The Y’s Safe Dates Program provides teens with the skills they need to help them make positive choices in their personal relationships, and free SAT programs and employment through the Y give them the tools they need to be successful in school and beyond.
“The Y’s of Greater Boston foster relationships and collaborate with state and local partners to ensure that all people get the care and respect they deserve,” said Gutierrez. “Staff, volunteers, community partners and Reach Out donors like Massport empower more than 100,000 people in Greater Boston to live longer healthier lives. With 13 branches in and around Boston, the Y works to meet unique needs of each community it serves.”
Sponsorships and tickets to the Y’s Reach Out For Youth Breakfast can be purchased at 215 Bremen Street. For more information on how to support the Y of Greater Boston’s Annual Fund, visit www.ymcaboston.org/giving/annual-fund.